Engraving-press attachment



Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT v OFFICE WILL I. ECKER, JR., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF BENDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 1 ro AUGUST ENGRAVING-PRESS ATTACHMENT Application filed February 27, 1929. Serial No. 342,984.

The object of my device is to provide means for eliminating the waste of ink in the engraying process. In the process, as now practiced, the entire die must be coated with ink in order to fill the depressions that form the characters that are to'be printed. The ink must then be removed from the superficial surface of the die, so that when the impression is made of the die on the paper the entire ink on the die will be in the depressions forming the characters that are to be printed. As at present practiced the ink that is removed from the superficial surface is a total loss. This amount of ink represents, at least ninety (90%) per cent of the ink that is actually used for the engraving. In the practice as used at present, the ink is removed from the superficialsurface of the die by having the die rub against paper, which is distended over a pad. This paper, which is in a roll gradually rolls 011 to a roller, from which it is removed to to be destroyed. The paper cannot be again used, because when the ink dries on the paper it makes the reverse surface of the paper too irregular to secure a smooth wiping action on the die. My do vice contemplates means by which both sides of the paper may be used repeatedly. A further object of mydevice is to provide a scraper and pan, so that the ink may be scraped from the paper before it dries and be permitted to fall into the pan from which it is gravitationally removed through a hole into an inkwell. A further object is to provide a scraper and a mounting therefor, together with an adjusting means for the scraper relative the mounting means, by which the scraper may be adjusted in a plane parallel to the width of the scraper. A further object is to provide means for selectively securing the scraper together with its mounting means at varying positions on the pan in order to remove all the ink from the paper irrespective of the width of the die from which the ink is removed to the paper. My device is made of few and simple parts that lend themselves readily to multiple production. It may be easily and cheaply made and can be applied to embossing and printing presses now in use. With these and other ob ects 1n v1ew my invention has relation to certain novel features of construct on and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevation of the track on which my device is slidably mounted, showing the die and pan and scraper in their relatively fixed relationship, as well as the rotatively mounted ink roller and the paper pad, together with the feed roller of paper and the take up roller of paper. The arrow indicates the direction of motion of the die and pan and scraper on the track. In this figure the ink roller is shown in contact with the die in the process of applying ink to the die.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1, showing the die in the position to the left of the paper and its pad, and showing the'scraper in the process of scraping the ink from the paper. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pan and scraper, together with a fragment of the jointure between the pan and scraper and the die.

Fig. i is a side elevation of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the scraper together with the adjusting means and its mounting means on the track on line 6-6 of Fig. 3. .Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on the line 88 of Fig.

No attempt has been made, to show an embossing press in detail. In fact the embossing press itself is not shown. The embossing process is accomplished by devices to the left of those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This application does not concern itself with the embossing press itself. Numeral 9 designates the tracks on which my device is slidingly mounted. Numeral 11 designates a rectangular pan having sides 12 and 13. Near one corner of the bottom of the pan 11 is formed a hole 14. The position of the hole 1a is in the lowest part of the bottom of the pan 11. The purpose of the pan 11 is to catch the ink as will be subsequently described. Numeral 15 designates an inkwell connected to the hole 14 byany suitable means such as a pipe or hose 16. In order to withdraw the collected ink from the well 15, the spring door 16 is provided. Mounted upon the sides 12 and 13 of the pan are scraper support holders 17 by any conventional securing means. In each scraper support holder 17 is formed a slot 18 atthe angle shown in the drawings. Numeral 19 designates a scraper support the ends of which are in sliding engagement in the slots 18. Numeral 21 designates the scraper blade, which is mounted on the scraper support 19, by having the screws 2 pass through holes in the scraper blade 21. Scraper blades 21 of difierent widths may be secured in the scraper support 19 will be seen by screw holes in the scraper support 19. In order to adjust the scraper support 19 in the slots 18 in any predetermined position and therefore hold the scraper blade in any predetermined position, the adjust ing means shown best in Fig. 6 are provided. Numeral 22 designates an adjustment screw in threaded engagement in the scraper support holder 17, the inner end of the adjustment screw 22 being rounded and extending within one of the slots 18. The lower edge of the scraper support 19 is cut away as best shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that by a horizontal movement of the adjusting screw 22 to the left the scraper support 19 will be moved upwardly in its slot 18. A great deal of adjustment is not necessary for reasons to be subsequently described. Numeral 23 designates a set screw in threaded engagement in the scraper support holders 17, the'inner end coming in contact with the scraper support 19 in the slot 18. In order to secure the scraper blade 21 and its scraper support 19 selectively in any position relative the length of the pan 11, the bolts 24 are provided and connected as shown in Fig. 5. Numeral 25 designates the die, which is connected to the pan 11 by bolts or screws 10 passing through the pan 11 and the extension 26 of the die holder 25 forming a unit. Numeral 27 designates an arm pivotally mounted at 28 and having the ink roller 29 rotatively secured thereto at its free end. There are two such arms, one on each side of the ink roller. The pivotal point 28 is a part of the machine that need not be further described for the purposes herein. The arm 27 is of such length that in a certain position of the die 25, the ink roller 29 passes over the entire surface of the die 25. The ink, for the ink roller 29 is supplied from a well that need not be clescribed, because it' forms no part of this 1nvention. Numeral 3O designates a horizontal pad, which is slightly above thesuperficial surface of the die 25 and may be moved vertically by means not necessary to show or describe in this specification. Numeral 31 designates a sheet of paper, which is all initially wrapped on the feed paper roller 32 and which in the operation to be subsequently described, passes from the feed roller 32 around the pad 30 and on to the take up roller 33. The direction of rotation and movement of the sheet of paper 31 is indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2. The process maybe described as follows:

The die, together with the pan and scraper move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. By this operation the ink roller 29 spreads the ink over the die 25; the die moves toward the left and comes in contact with a portion of the sheet of paper 31, that is in contact with the lowersurface of the pad 30. The ink is thereby scraped from the die 25 on to the sheet of paper 31 underthe pad 30. The movement of the die, etc, continues to the left until the scraper blade 21 comes in contact with the paper on the lower side of-the pad 30. The contact between the scraper blade 21 and the paper must be very delicate. The pressure must be sufficient to remove the ink, but not so great as to either tear the paper or scrape the surface of the paper into the ink. W hen the scraper blade 21 has passed over the portion of the paper under the pad 30, practically all of the ink will have been scraped oil of the paper and will gradually trickle into the pan 11 and finally into the inkwell 15. This ink may then be re-used, and as previously explained, represents ninetenths of the ink that was originally applied to the die 25. As the die and scraper con tinue in their movement to the left,the sheet of paper 31 is unwrapped from the feed roller 32 on to the take up roller 33, for an amount of length as required to remove the ink completely from the superficial surface of the die. The die finally arrives at the place of impression, which is not shown in the drawing. The entire die 25, pan 11 and scraper lee blade 21 are then returned to the right with- 1 out performing any function to the initial position shown in Fig. 1. The pad 30 is slightly raised during this reverse operation, so that the scraper blade 21 is not in contact with the sheet of paper 31, when the blade is passing to its initial position. The scraper blade 21, must be placed at a substantial angle with the vertical plane as shown in Fig. 6. The adjustment of the scraper blade 21 in the slots 18 must be very positive and accurate. This is accomplished by the structure indicated.

Ill)

lVhen the die 25 is of lesser width than i the pad 30, it is not necessary to have the scraper blade 21 in contact with the sheet of paper 31 for the entire length of travel over the lower surface of the pad 30. It is only desirous of having the scraper blade 21 scrape the paper 31 where the ink is present. This is made possible by the movement of the pad 30 upwardly and away from the scraper blade 21.

It will be seen that by the use of my device in the method disclosed that the scraper blade 21 comes in contact with the sheetof paper 31, practically immediately after the ink has been applied to the paper from the die 25. This is a very important point because at this time it is possible to scrape the ink from the paper effectually. If the ink is permitted to dry or to become absorbed by the paper, the scraper Will not function properly.

WVhat I claim and mean to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portion of an embossing press comprising a track, on which is mounted a die and a scraper blade, the die and scraper blade being in constant spaced relationship, means of applying ink to the superficial area of the die, a pad, a feed roller, and a take up roiler, a sheet of paper mounted on the feed roller, and passing around said pad to said take up roller, so that when the die passes in contact with the sheet oi paper, the ink is removed from the die to the sheet of paper, so that when the scraper blade comes in contact With the same sheet of inked paper it moves across said paper so that the ink will be removed from said paper.

A portion or" an engraving press comprising a track, on Which is mounted a die and a scraper blade, the die and scraper blade being in constant spaced relationship, means of applying ink to the superficial area of the die,'a pad, a feed roller, and a take up roller,

.1 sheet of paper mounted on the feed roller, and passing around said pad to said take up roller, so that when the die passes in contact with the sheet or" paper, the ink is removed from the die to the sheet of paper, so that when the scraper blade comes in contact with the same sheet of inked paper it moves across said paper so that the ink Will be removed from said paper, a pan secured in operative position relative said scraper blade for catching the ink trickling from said scraper blade. In testimony whereof: I affiX my signature.

WILL J. ECKER, JR. 

